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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529745">No Secrets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleverbrainer/pseuds/cleverbrainer'>cleverbrainer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Secrets [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Drabble, Established Relationship, F/M, Marijuana, Romanian Dragon Sanctuary (Harry Potter)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:28:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,571</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleverbrainer/pseuds/cleverbrainer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles and short stories about Charlie and Hermione that don't belong in the Open Secrets series. There is no specific timeline, but all take place in the same AU. TW: contains alcohol, mentions of marijuana, adult language, and implied sexual activity. (save for chapter 5 - that's just blatant sexual activity.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Charlie Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Secrets [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114457</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Never Have I Ever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patriceavril/gifts">Patriceavril</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>drabble one: a night at the pub.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Colder months were coming and the Reserve always adopted an “all hands on deck” policy for the changeover. While some dragon breeds relished in the colder months, there were some that struggled through the season every year. This meant it was time for the annual enclosure changeover, and everyone was exhausted. It took a large group of very strong witches and wizards to adjust the protective enchantments and distract the dragons themselves while they did it.<br/><br/>This night in particular was a Thursday night as any other - a grueling day, even for the most seasoned of tamers. The work exhausted them physically, but the magic and quick thinking involved drained them in a totally different way and absolutely no one wanted to go home and actually make their own dinner before crawling into a warm bed.<br/><br/>The one thing that kept Charlie, Hermione, and their colleagues going strong until the end of the day hardly ever changed: a hot meal they didn’t have to prepare themselves and a few pints down at the Battered Basilisk. Thankfully, such a hard day meant that time seemed to move at a rapid pace and the group was heading down the side of the mountain before they knew it. <br/><br/>The Battered Basilisk was nothing special by any means, but it was the most common place to find anyone that worked at the Reserve during their off hours. The building itself was small and unassuming, save for the bright yellow door with a large serpent painted directly in the middle. They hadn’t even bothered to hang a plaque outside, and if you didn’t know what you were looking for, you were likely to walk right past it. There was something about the hidden pub that kept them coming back, even if none of them could put their finger on why. Perhaps it was because they loved asking if anyone would fancy a pint ‘down at the Battered?’ It certainly didn’t hurt that the owner’s daughter Irina had come back from university a fully grown woman that took no issue in going toe-to-toe with the rowdiest of them. <br/><br/>The loud group filed in one by one, hollering a greeting towards Irina and her father Gregor on their way to their preferred corner. By the time they had arrived, a wooden round table had expanded and Irina had conjured more chairs as Gregor began pulling pints behind the bar. <br/><br/>“Well, hello, you lot,” Irina greeted brightly as she levitated trays full of beer towards a dozen of their regular customers. <br/><br/>“Hey, Irina,” they chorused, hands reaching from all different directions towards the tray closest to them. The majority of them took a moment to meet her eye with a mock salute of their glass before downing half its contents, Charlie and Hermione included. <br/><br/>“I take it you’ll be needing food, then?” the barmaid asked, pulling a small pad and quill from the apron tied around her waist. As she expected, a loud chorus of “yes!” and a chorus of hungry dragon tamers trying to order louder than the person next to them. Irina simply sighed, rolled her eyes and waited for the jabbering to stop. <br/><br/>“One at a time might be best, yeah?” Charlie interjected over the group, giving them all a pointed look that said ‘shut the hell up before I jinx someone.’ Everyone at the table knew that pissing off a hungry tamer could lead to a fate worse than the worst injuries they could sustain in a line of duty, and most of them were still a little scared of her. <br/><br/>“Shepherd’s pie for me tonight, thanks,” Hermione piped up with a brilliant grin at Irina as the young woman nodded and took notes, relieved the group of tamers were now happily speaking as individuals as opposed to their usual Loud. By the time she had everything written down, it was clear this evening’s charge were already ready for their second pint. Thankfully, Gregor had more trays on the way before she had time to turn around. Irina quietly hoped they would all wait on the usual switch to firewhiskey until <em> after </em> they had eaten dinner, smiled again, and made her way back to the bar. <br/><br/>“What’s caught your interest?” Jack asked across the table. <br/><br/>He was staring down his twin sister, Julia, who wasn’t paying a lick of attention to anyone at the table - she was merely watching Irina walk away with an interesting look in her eye. <br/><br/>“Oh, nothing..” Julia sighed, turning her attention back to her beer and the group at large. <br/><br/>“Careful with that one, Jules,” Julia’s partner, Tomo, began. “Asked her back to my cabin a few weeks back and she hit me with a horn tongue hex faster than Olga’s tail ripped through Daria’s shoulder last summer.” <br/><br/>An offended “oi!” was let loose two seats away before everyone started laughing and talking over each other once more. <br/><br/>Hermione was incredibly grateful she had honed her listening skills at the Burrow during her Hogwarts years. While the group could be incredibly organized and silent at times, something about her group of colleagues felt like sitting at a table surrounded by Weasleys, a dozen different conversations going on at once. Most people were juggling at least two separate thought processes just to keep up. <br/><br/>Thankfully, this group was just friends out for a few pints and some dinner after a long day - meaning there were no parents around to make sure they “stayed proper” or drank a full glass of water between pints to save themselves the trouble in the morning. Like any other night, they would probably be here a touch too late and have slight headaches in the morning. <br/><br/>Charlie’s voice speaking to Tomo about how he had actually made out fairly well with a hex, and it brought Hermione’s brain back to the present.<br/><br/>"She actually slapped Ian proper once, didn’t she?” Daria interjected, still annoyed with Jack for bringing up the incident that almost ended her career so carelessly.<br/><br/>Hermione’s attention was grabbed again as Ambrose had reminded Julia they were, indeed, at the <em> Battered </em> Basilisk, but maybe it could be the <em> Bent </em> Basilisk if she asked Irina nicely enough around closing time. Somehow, that was the joke heard around the table and the entire group launched into a roar of laughter as Irina returned, laden with food. <br/><br/>Their dinner passed in relative ease, each member of the table in their own quiet discussion with their neighbor on their approach to the enclosure changeover they were working on, and which teams thought they would need more hands-on assistance if they were to finish by the following Monday. <br/><br/>With the general consensus falling on “should be fine, fingers crossed,” the group finished their meals and perked up at the sight of Irina following a dozen glasses filled with two fingers of firewhiskey each. Gregor and Irina really knew their charge. <br/><br/>“Oh, you absolute angel,” Charlie complimented, passing a drink over to Lorne on his left. “How did we ever get through with you gone?” <br/><br/>Irina smiled brightly at the praise, also unsure how her father managed to keep the tamers relatively quiet without a second set of eyes or a swing in the hips to keep them distracted. Based on the black stains the wood had acquired underneath their table, Gregor had only done a semi-decent job beyond keeping them flush in alcohol and food.<br/><br/>“Alright, lads!” Jack’s voice cut across the noise of everyone at the table shuffling drinks. He poised his glass of firewhiskey next to his face before bellowing “Never have I ever been hexed by Irina for trying to take her home!” <br/><br/>Nearly every single person at the table groaned and threw back their drinks, Jack, Charlie, and Hermione included. This did not go unnoticed by their colleagues. <br/><br/>“Wait, wait, wait!” Ambrose yelled, starting to rise from his chair. “Bowie! Weasley! SPILL!” <br/><br/>“What happens between Charlie and I behind closed doors is absolutely none of your concern, Ambrose,” Hermione chastised before taking another sip of her pint. “Besides, she said no, anyway.” <br/><br/>The table broke into a split of silence and a thousand questions, and Hermione was happy that only some of their colleagues took it as an opportunity to offer their services in the bedroom to the couple. Charlie was just grateful only the tips of his ears had turned pink.<br/><br/>“Never Have I Ever!” Charlie yelled, trying to distract everyone else from a failed romantic tryst between himself, his partner, and the barmaid. He paused then, trying to think of something that would incriminate someone else and distract from their accidental reveal. <br/><br/>“Never have I ever…” he began again, slowly, trying to draw the attention away from Bowie. <br/><br/>“Never have I ever kissed a Weasley!” screamed Willa from across the table. <br/><br/>Hermione scowled as she took a drink… and then another, for good measure. <br/><br/>“Never have I ever attempted to paint Olga’s nails,” Hermione replied with a pointed look at Willa, sucking her teeth for good measure. <br/><br/>Willa scowled in return and took a long drink - it was one of everyone’s favorite stories to tell their friends: a few years back, Willa got it in her head that the ornery Horntail wouldn’t have such awful separation anxiety from her hatchlings if she received ‘a proper manicure.’ Needless to say, it didn’t end well for Willa. She was given 2 weeks leave to “straighten out her head, as her brain had clearly walked out of her body” as Luke had phrased it. <br/><br/>To everyone’s surprise, Daria took a quiet sip from her corner. <br/><br/>“What?” the younger woman shrugged. “Willa convinced me it was a good idea at the time.” <br/><br/>The rambunctious group broke into laughter again, excitedly swapping stories of the stupid things they had done in their early days to appease the dragons in their care. <br/><br/>“Alright, alright..” Ian called, a slight bit of mischief in his eyes. <br/><br/>“Never have I ever climbed a dragon with the express intent to play Chicken with another tamer.” <br/><br/>Hermione’s eyes widened at Charlie as he took a long swig of his beer, nearly finishing it. <br/><br/>“Charles!” she scolded, appalled that he would do something so dangerous for his own amusement, not only risking <em> his </em> health, but that of a fellow tamer and a pair of dragons. <br/><br/>“Shut it, Bowie, and drink up!” Daria whispered to her right. Hermione made a face at her and slowly drained her pint.<br/><br/>“Never have I ever used dragon dung for nefarious purposes,” Hermione responded, giving Charlie a <em> very </em> pointed look. He grinned sheepishly and finished his own drink, signaling Irina and Gregor that they were ready for the next round of beer and firewhiskey. What Hermione wasn’t expecting, however, was that nearly everyone at the table had taken the opportunity to swallow their final dregs of beer.<br/><br/>“W-what?” she stuttered, wondering what in the hell everyone <em> else </em> had been doing with their time.<br/><br/>“It really is excellent fertilizer,” Lorne whispered to her across Charlie, holding up his thumb and index finger to his mouth before giggling to himself. <br/><br/>“Charlie, you have <em> got </em> to be kidding me,” Hermione muttered as the majority of the table made their way outside for a cigarette between rounds. <br/><br/>“It’s not like it’s news to you I smoke, ma mie,” he told her before placing a kiss on the top of her head and making his way outside to join the rest of the group. This left just Hermione, Jack, and Tomo behind - one not ready to strengthen his buzz yet, one doing his best to quit, and Hermione, who had never taken up smoking due to the damage it could to do your teeth. <br/><br/>“So this evening with Irina…” Tomo began, a wicked glint reaching his eyes. <br/><br/>“I don’t want to talk about it,” Hermione informed him, crossing her arms across her chest.<br/><br/>“Aw, come on, Bowie! I stayed inside just to hear all about it!” Jack complained, tossing back the remainder of his firewhiskey - he had been smart and taking pulls off of his pint as opposed to his whiskey, no doubt trying to stay alert while his work partner, Lorne, was clearly in the mood to fall on his ass by the time the evening was through. <br/><br/>“If you wanted to hear about it, you’re clearly asking the wrong party,” she countered, hoping against hope Charlie wasn’t outside telling everyone who asked the full story in exchange for a drag on a joint or a cigarette. Neither was a habit Hermione particularly cared for, but Charlie was his own man long before she had come around and she had no intention of changing him. <br/><br/>By the time the majority of the group had made their way back inside, the table was laden with a few dozen shots and at least enough beers to match. Gregor really knew his clientele. <br/><br/>“Maybe a softer one to get us going again?” Tomo asked the group as they settled back into their seats. “Never have I ever used dragon fire to make dinner.” <br/><br/>The group all groaned and rolled their eyes, tossing back the next shot of firewhiskey. <br/><br/>“Never have I ever used dragon fire to make <em> breakfast </em> ,” Patrick countered, smiling to himself as the group drank the second half of their whiskey. <br/><br/>“Lazy call, mate,” someone called across the table. Most of them shrugged and drank. <br/><br/>“Do sausages count, too?” Daria wondered before shrugging and picking up a new beer. Those that hadn’t picked a new beverage yet now had no excuse. <br/><br/>As Patrick and Tomo’s rather tame “never have I ever” suggestions, the energy of the table switched as everyone slowly turned to nursing whatever drinks were leftover on the table in front of them, most alternating a swig of firewhiskey with a few pulls of beer. Once more, the table settled into half a dozen conversations as people shuffled to sit closer to the person they were talking to. The pub behind them had slowly begun to fill, and they all knew being too loud while Irina and Gregor were trying to work would just get them into trouble and potentially yet another week-long ban. <br/><br/>“So Irina…” Lorne pressed, leaning over Charlie and eyeing Hermione. <br/><br/>“Lorne,’ Hermione warned, not looking forward to fending off yet another curious tamer. <br/><br/>“There’s not much to tell,” Charlie offered with a small shrug. “We were deep in our cups and Bowie here wanted to spice things up a bit.” His smile turned wolfish at the memory. <br/><br/>A small chorus of “ooooh”s circled the table, everyone’s conversations stalling out at Charlie’s casual admittance. <br/><br/>“It was Bowie’s idea?” Julia’s shocked voice cut through the din. <br/><br/>“Oh, like you weren’t thinking about trying your luck just an hour ago,” Hermione spat, clearly unhappy with Charlie for sharing a bit of her adventurous side that only he was acquainted with. <br/><br/>“You’re acting like we can’t hear you two doors down!” Tomo laughed, regretting passing up his chance to get more details from Charlie earlier. <br/><br/>“I really don’t know why everyone is so fascinated by this. It was over a year ago!” <br/><br/>“Irina’s only been back home for a few months now, love,” Charlie reminded her softly. <br/><br/>“<em>Would you just </em> <em> shut it </em> <em>, Weasley?</em>” Hermione hissed, throwing back the last of her whiskey. <br/><br/>“So, what’s the plan from here?” Ian asked, checking his watch with a flourish. “We’re closing in on midnight already.” <br/><br/>The group heaved a collective sigh and pulled out their coin bags, slowly doing maths on their fingers as they figured out the appropriate amount of coin to leave behind. They all had an equally early start in the morning and the amount of work didn’t look to be any less than it had been the day before. <br/><br/>“Anyone trying their luck tonight?” Charlie grinned, looking forward to seeing who would offer themselves to Irina as tribute for the night. They all shook their heads sadly and rose from the table, filing out of the pub and back up the mountain where warm beds were waiting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Magic or Muggle?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>sunday afternoon and the bar cart's empty. 500 words.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Stevie Nicks.”</p><p>“Magic, obviously.”</p><p>“Okay, okay. That was an easy one. Hmm..” Charlie knitted his brows together, deep in concentration.</p><p>It was a snowy Sunday afternoon in the Carpathian Mountains and the pair had the day off. Unsure what else to do, they were curled up in front of the fire with a cup of tea while they played one of Charlie’s favourite games: Magic or Muggle. Today seemed to be “music edition” as Hermione had recently introduced her boyfriend and a few of their colleagues to the Japanese Muggle art of karaoke.</p><p>“Cher?”</p><p>“Squib, believe it or not.”</p><p>“Huh. Really?”</p><p>“That’s what Molly told me, at least.”</p><p>“Interesting. How about… Prince?”</p><p>“Far too Christian,” Hermione shook her head. “He’s his own kind of magic, though.”</p><p>Charlie nodded in agreement, brain still working slowly.</p><p>“Ian Brown?” he offered up.</p><p>“Of the Stone Roses?” Hermione asked in surprise. She couldn’t remember hearing them around the house in the time they had cohabitated, but she supposed they had gotten popular around the time Charlie had finished at Hogwarts and moved out of the Burrow.</p><p>“The very same.” He grinned - he was really hoping she wouldn’t know this one. While he was always the one to suggest it, he always somehow lost.</p><p>“You know, I think I might’ve seen him at the Leaky once.”</p><p>Charlie deflated a bit. He was hoping to blow her mind, just a little. Apparently the whole band had gone to Hogwarts with Sirius and Remus, a few years below them. Remus mentioned it a few times in the early days at 12 Grimmauld Place.</p><p>“Yeah,” he resigned with a sigh. “You probably did.”</p><p>“Alright, my turn!” Hermione clapped her hands together, thinking hard. “Okay, I’ve got one - David Bowie!”</p><p>“Really, ma mie?” he rolled his eyes. “Obviously magic. You suggest him every time.”</p><p>Hermione shrugged and sipped at her tea, wishing it had a splash of firewhiskey in it.</p><p>“Maybe we should play a different game?” she suggested, not in the mood to think of more musicians or celebrities to guess.</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Charlie wondered, crawling closer to her from his place on the rug. “What kind of game did you have in mind?” He had his own new game in mind, and he was hoping she was on the same page.</p><p>A slow, dangerous grin spread across her face. “When’s the last time we played Firecracker?”</p><p>“Gods, it’s been ages!” Charlie paused in excitement for a moment, turning to check the status of their liquor cart. “Ah, shite. No Ogden’s. I’m afraid we finished it off before bed last night.”</p><p>Hermione sighed and curled into his side, grateful for his mass of warmth. They would just have to find something else to do with their evening.</p><p>“Keith Richards?” she offered, looking up at his chin from her spot on his broad shoulder.</p><p>“I think he’d be dead by now otherwise,” Charlie laughed, bending down to kiss her slowly.</p><p>As it turned out, Hermione liked his game, too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Cleaning Day.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>drabble 3: a hangover, some cleaning, and perhaps my favourite drabble yet.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Chaaaarlieeeee,” Hermione’s sing-song voice carried up the stairs to their bedroom loft. “Charlie, love, it’s time to wake up!” She had been awake for a few hours now, drinking tea and reading by the fire. By the time 10 o’clock rolled around, however, she was starved and couldn’t wait for breakfast any longer. Hermione had hoped the smell of frying bacon would rouse her partner from bed, but it surprisingly hadn’t. He must have stayed out at the Battered Basilisk much later than she thought. She ate in silence, the crackling of the fireplace and occasional turning of pages the only sounds keeping her company. The clock had found its way to 10:30 and she couldn’t stand it any longer.<br/>
<br/>
“Charlie Weasley, you lazy arse,” she huffed on her way up the stairs, determined to wake him up this time. It was their quarterly deep clean day and he always did everything he possibly could to avoid it, but staying in bed all day due to a hangover was a new low, even for him.<br/>
<br/>
“Charlie,” she demanded, pulling on the toes that were peeking out from the bottom of the blanket. “Charlike, <em>wake up.</em>”<br/>
<br/>
“Hrrmff!” That was the only sound she heard before he seized her by the wrist and dragged her onto bed, “too tired. Sleep.”<br/>
<br/>
“Charlie,” she warned, sighing and rolling away from him. “It’s half past ten, love. It’s time to join the world of the living.”<br/>
<br/>
“Don’t wanna,” he grumbled, pulling a pillow over his face. “Head fell off on the way home.”<br/>
<br/>
“Get your arse out of this bed and your other head will fall off before I’m done with you,” she grumbled, getting up and yanking open the curtains. The small bedroom was suddenly flooded with light, though it didn’t seem to rouse the large man with an even larger hangover that was sprawled across the bed, one muscled arm overtop the pillow covering his face.<br/>
<br/>
“No,” he argued weakly. “Curse the world of the living. I now identify as dead.”<br/>
<br/>
“You’ll be dead before I’m done with you if you don’t <em>get up</em>,” she began to rage, yanking the blankets away before he could pull them up over his head, too. She was unbothered by the fact that he was starkers, save for the wool socks covering his feet. He also seemed unbothered by his sudden lack of blanket. He simply started blindly grabbing the other pillows on the bed in an attempt to cover his naked form with a slight groan. She sighed, absolutely exasperated, and silently gave up.<br/>
<br/>
“Fine then, have it your way,” she spat out, storming back down the stairs. She waved her wand towards the breakfast she had set aside for Charlie and removed the warming charm, knowing exactly how much he detested cold eggs and cold coffee. If he was sour now, he’d be doubly so when he finally emerged to find rotten breakfast and a distinct lack of pepper-up potion. But, for now, all he heard was the front door slam as he drifted back into blissful sleep.<br/>
<br/>
Hermione finally came home around 2 o’clock, arms laden with shopping bags from her trip to the Muggle grocery store down the mountain. It wasn’t a trip she usually made alone, but Charlie’s blatant lack of interest in personing had left her no choice. While they would usually run errands while the cleaning solution sat in the tub, oven, and sink, she refused to do the scrubbing by herself and hadn’t bothered starting the process. She opted, instead, to run the day’s errands with the help of Lars and Willa so it didn’t feel like an entirely wasted day. What she was not expecting, however, was to find the house exactly as she had left it hours before.<br/>
<br/>
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she grumbled, furiously flicking her wand at the groceries and other supplies she had just slogged up the mountain, fuming as they found their rightful cupboards.<br/>
<br/>
“CHARLES WEASLEY!” she bellowed up the stairs, no longer waiting for him to decide when he would wake up. “Charles Septimus Weasley,” she growled once she reached the threshold at the top of the stairs into their bedroom. She flicked her wand and let the pillows still covering him transfigure into a series of snakes that coiled his body, fury vibrating through every single molecule of her being. That had finally done it; Charlie shrieked, pulling at the snakes coiling his body and throwing them at the floor.<br/>
<br/>
“What the fuck was that for?!” he bellowed, finally sitting up in the bed. He reached for his wand and flicked it carelessly at the snakes wriggling around their bed and watched them slowly turn back into the feather-stuffed pillows he loved so much. “Are you absoloutely fucking <em>mad</em>, Hermione?!”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, I am absolutely <em>furious</em>,” she spat back, her hair practically standing on end from the rage that sparked through her. “Furious that it’s a quarter past two and you are somehow <em>still in fucking bed</em>.”<br/>
<br/>
“It’s fucking Sunday!” he yelled, anger slowly climbing as the drive to match her fury instinctually rose within him, not to mention the sudden snakes.<br/>
<br/>
“It’s cleaning day,” she reminded him, flicking her wand to return the pillows back to their standard configuration. “And don’t tell me you didn’t know - I reminded you thrice before you went down to the Basilisk with Travis and Ambrose.”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah, for Ambrose’s dead sister’s birthday,” Charlie countered, finally getting himself up off the mattress and pulling on a pair of sweatpants.<br/>
<br/>
“And?” Hermione demanded, arms akimbo. “You could’ve sent your condolences, had a few pints, and gone home like a normal person.”<br/>
<br/>
“Normal people don’t have practice celebrating their dead siblings.”<br/>
<br/>
Hermione froze, her mouth opening and closing slowly, trying to think of a counter-argument that would simultaneously sooth Charlie and smooth the situation over.<br/>
<br/>
“Char…” she began, reaching out for him.<br/>
<br/>
“Don’t bother,” he grumbled, stomping down the stairs.<br/>
<br/>
Hermione knew he was about to find his cold eggs and bacon, as well as the cold coffee she had left behind hours ago. Something told her there was absolutely no way the house would be cleaned today.<br/>
<br/>
“Agh!” she heard Charlie yelp from downstairs - he had probably taken a bite of his breakfast to find it cold and unwelcoming. “What the fuck?!”<br/>
<br/>
“Char, I’m so sorry,” she hollered, bounding down the stairs two at a time. “I didn’t know. I was angry with you. I…” she paused, taking a moment to look him in the eye amidst her frenzy. “I really didn’t know…” she stammered before being pulled into his calming embrace.<br/>
<br/>
“It’s alright, ma mie,” he whispered into her hair, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head before releasing her and flicking his wand, intent on salvaging the bacon and toast on the counter with a warming charm - he had eaten worse, that was for sure.<br/>
<br/>
“No, let me,” she offered, softly hip checking him out of the way as she busied herself in their small kitchen, intent on making her hungover love a decent lunch to make up for the sheer amount of bitchiness she had dished out today.<br/>
<br/>
Their deep clean would just have to wait.<br/>
<br/>
-----<br/>
<br/>
“Charlie, what the hell <em>is</em> this?”<br/>
<br/>
The following Sunday found them properly cleaning and mostly hangover-free. The small headache they were both sporting meant bleaching the bathroom could wait until later and they opted for a wardrobe purge, instead.<br/>
<br/>
The t-shirt Hermione was holding up was quite likely the worst shirt she had ever seen in her life: it was a disgusting green colour that reminded Hermione strongly of baby puke. Emblazoned across the front was a phrase that didn’t make sense at first (“I was Swedish until I met you.”) and the back didn’t make it any better (“Now I’m Romanian!”).<br/>
<br/>
Charlie grinned as he realized the shirt she was holding. “Oh, wicked!” he called, reaching out to grab the soft fabric from between her fingers. “I’ve been looking for that for ages!”<br/>
<br/>
“Why on Earth would you ever go looking for a shirt so… so… vile?” she grimaced, handing over the offending piece of clothing. “You should toss it.”<br/>
<br/>
“No way!” Charlie protested, pulling it over his head. It was far too small for his large frame and it looked like the fabric across his shoulders was threatening to burst. “I’ve had this thing since 5th year! I thought I lost it ages ago!”<br/>
<br/>
“All the more reason to burn it, I say,” Hermione scoffed, pointing her nose high and away.<br/>
<br/>
“I can’t just burn this, Bow,” he replied, hand to his chest to show mock offense. “This shirt and I have been through everything together! New jobs and homes and my first legal trip to the Hog’s Head!” Charlie’s blue eyes dazzled as he was awash with memories.<br/>
<br/>
“Maybe fresh heartbreak, even?” Hermione teased, attempting to summon the shirt from his body. It struggled against his chin until he resigned to pulling it off himself and unceremoniously dropped it in his “To Keep” pile.<br/>
<br/>
“Absolutely not,” Hermione countered, reaching to snatch it and place it in the bag of clothes they were planning on donating later in the week.<br/>
<br/>
“Hermioneeeee,” he whined, pulling the shirt back to his pile with a flick of his wand. “I love this shirt. Please?”<br/>
<br/>
“Please what? Please burn it so no one has to look at that wretched thing ever again?”<br/>
<br/>
“Fine,” he huffed, picking it up from the pile once more and tossing it over to her. “If you’re so intent on ruining part of my childhood, then so be it. Some girlfriend you are.”<br/>
<br/>
She dropped her jaw, slightly offended, before sticking out her tongue. “It’s an awful shirt and however you managed to get a girl wearing it is absolutely beyond me.”<br/>
<br/>
“Are you saying you don’t find me attractive wearing a shirt three sizes too small?” he wondered, reaching into the bag to grab a shirt that no longer fit even Hermione. “What about this one?” he asked, attempting to pull an old Weird Sisters shirt over his head. Based on the size, it must have belonged to Ginny at one point and it refused to even consider going over his shoulders.<br/>
<br/>
“How do I look?” he ventured, fake modeling for Hermione, though he couldn’t necessarily see where he was going. His foot caught in the shirt Hermione was so desperately trying to get him to throw into the fireplace. He heard the click of a camera as he lost his footing and fell over, “Too Weird To Live” covering the immense blush forming across his cheeks.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, you’ve never looked better, love!” Hermione giggled, snapping another photo. “I can’t wait to show your mum!”<br/>
<br/>
“Bowie, NO!” he cried, tearing the shirt at the seams to free his head and expose his still deepening blush as Hermione snapped one more photo for good measure. “You absolutely can <em>not</em> show that to my mum!”<br/>
<br/>
“And why not?” Hermione asked deviously, shoving the developing photos down the front of her shirt to keep him away from them.<br/>
<br/>
“Because, well, because..” he stuttered, obviously struggling trying to find a good reason. “Because she’ll want to know who took them, and why you were in my bedroom with me all shirtless.”<br/>
<br/>
“I highly doubt she’ll be concerned with me helping you clean, Charlie.”<br/>
<br/>
“Yes, well, good point, but..”<br/>
<br/>
“Burn the shirt and I won’t show your mum.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, you’re blackmailing me now? Excellent,” he grinned, lunging towards her, his fast hands working their way up her shirt to grab the three photos she was holding hostage.<br/>
<br/>
“Charlie!” she shrieked as he began tickling her sides, “Charlie, stop!” This only made him tickle her harder and her pleas became breathy as his hands inched closer to her chest and subsequent compromising photos. “Char..” she warned, slightly irate at how low her voice had become at his close contact.<br/>
<br/>
“Hmm?”<br/>
<br/>
The tickling had ceased for the time being, but his nose began to edge the curls away from her ear. She breathed in sharply as he kissed the sensitive spot under her ear. The second she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, she felt it - he had snatched the photos and moved away as quickly as he could, a wicked grin plastered on his face.<br/>
<br/>
“Charles Septimus, how dare you!” she huffed, firmly planting her hands on her hips from her position on the floor.<br/>
<br/>
“You started it, love,” he reminded her cheekily before blowing her a kiss and running down the stairs. He realized once he got down there that, if he were smart, he would have grabbed the shirt, too, but he felt alright with the trade for now. He’d get his shirt back…eventually.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>apparently the shirt is not as funny as i thought it was, so i will take a moment to remind you of the swedish short-snout and the romanian longhorn.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Yeehaw, Good Buddy!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>drabble 4: charlie fixes a motorbike. 600 words.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have no excuse for this, but I blame Discord, regardless.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>If there was one task Charlie Weasley was expecting to help with during his visit home for Christmas, fixing the dragon fire charm on Harry Potter’s motorbike certainly wasn’t one of them. While he knew the motorbike had originally belonged to his late comrade Sirius, the thought of his little sister’s husband raising children and driving around muggle London on a motorbike just felt weird. Charlie wasn’t one to judge, however, and this particular charm was one he would prefer to fix personally, knowing full well how dangerous dragon fire was. He certainly didn’t want his father out here mucking about without proper supervision.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He wasn’t expecting the task to take so much time, but Charlie didn’t mind much - his dad had managed to fix up a Muggle radio in such a way that it played Muggle music as opposed to the standard Wizarding Wireless, which he thought was a nice break from the same twenty or so songs he heard every time he was out in the shed. The country song in particular wasn’t quite to Charlie’s taste, but he found himself tapping his toe despite himself. He had heard it a few times in the hours he had been outside and eventually realized he wasn’t that annoyed when he caught himself singing along to the chorus.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Our song is a slammin’ screen door..” he belted, clapping one hand on his thigh as he stomped his foot, “sneaking out late, tapping on your --”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Whatcha listening to, Char?” his older brother Bill interrupted, leaning against the doorframe with a grin that said ‘what in the ever-loving fuck are you doing?’</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh! Um…” Charlie stuttered, flicking his wand at the radio, surreptitiously changing the station to something that made him feel a little less guilty. “Pearl Jam?” he attempted, immediately registering the guitar solo in Even Flow, but knew it was futile.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Was that…” Bill began, laughing into his hand before taking a sobering cough. “Were you listening to Taylor Swift out here all alone?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“What? No!” the younger redhead stuttered, his ears turning that stupid Weasley pink whenever any of them were caught in a lie, embarrassed, or caught in an </span>
  <em>
    <span>embarrassing</span>
  </em>
  <span> lie. “I was listening to Pearl Jam and I bumped the radio! Stupid knobs…”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Char, you were singing along.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Was not,” Charlie countered, yanking on the sleeves of the flannel around his waist to tighten it before crossing his arms across his chest.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>heard</span>
  </em>
  <span> you. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>saw</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, Charlie,” Bill reminded him, doing his best to not burst into laughter again. Bill couldn’t remember the last time it had been so difficult to keep a straight face.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Charlie shrugged as the radio DJ announced the next song. “Good one,” he mused under his breath as the soft intro to Down in a Hole by Alice in Chains kicked on.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It’s alright,” his older brother comforted him, transfiguring a nearby plug into a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and placing it on Charlie’s head, patting it like he would console a small child. “You enjoy being an angsty teenage girl, and I’ll enjoy telling Hermione you’ve lost your mind.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hey!” Charlie countered, unsure how to respond to the weird level of insult that was so casually thrown at him by his big brother.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Mum sent me to tell you lunch is ready, by the by,” Bill grinned. “You should wear your new hat. I think it suits you. Hermione’ll love it.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Charlie merely glared and didn’t move from his spot, still rooted by the radio. Bill’s grin grew at least three sizes.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>“Yeehaw, good buddy.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. lemons, ahoy!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>caution: lemons aplenty! this is a companion piece for chapter 3 of early secrets, but can also be treated as standalone smut if that's what you're into. i've never written anything like this before, so i hope you, ahem, enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Charlie and Hermione barely made it onto the porch before they began grabbing at each other once more, uncaring if anyone was out and about in his neighborhood to see them. Hermione reached for the doorknob to let herself in but Charlie stopped her, spinning her around to press her against the door with a searing kiss. He had slipped one arm behind her, holding them both up against the weight of the door, his opposite hand wandering down her side.<br/>
<br/>
She broke from him, desperate for air, and he took the opportunity to roughly suck on the same earlobe he had been pulling on just moments earlier. “Charlie,” she exhaled, his name on her lips sounding like the most beautiful magic he had ever heard. “Yes, ma mie?” he whispered against her pulse point before kissing it roughly. “Inside,” she pleaded, one hand desperately searching for the doorknob. Charlie refused to relent but moved his wandering hand to the doorknob, swinging it open behind her. They parted briefly so Charlie could lock the door behind them and grasp at his shirt behind his neck, removing it with one swift motion.<br/>
<br/>
Seeing Charlie shirtless wasn’t anything new in Hermione’s world, but this time felt like something more. This wasn’t their first time together, but something about it felt different. Perhaps because they were both still in their right mind and not full of anger - this time wasn’t a drunk shag after a rowdy night with friends, nor used as a tool to relieve the tension building between them. This time was driven by pure need for the other. “Merlin,” Hermione breathed, unable to look away from the disgustingly strong man in front of her. “You’re.. You’re so..” “Breathtaking?” Charlie grinned that stupid lopsided grin again and reached out to her, pulling her closer. “Yes.”<br/>
<br/>
They came together once more, this kiss somehow more passionate than the one they had shared outside. Hermione felt like her entire body was on fire, the flame ignited deep within her core.  She attempted to maneuver him towards the couch, but she wasn’t strong enough to encourage his body to move in any way that wasn’t closer to her. “Trying to skip the foreplay?” he growled into her ear, the desire in his tone making her breath hitch in her throat. “Never,” she relented, leaning into him. Thus far, all they had done was kiss each other from shoulder to neck to mouth to ear and her knees already felt like they didn’t work.<br/>
<br/>
“Would you like to come upstairs?” Charlie asked between the kisses and small nips he was peppering up and down her neck. “Dear Merlin, yes,” Hermione groaned into the air, sighing as she tilted her head back to give him better access to some of her more sensitive areas. She didn’t need to respond any further as he led her backwards and still nipped at her neck around the mess that had become his sitting room from that evening’s poker game.<br/>
<br/>
While it was usually a short jaunt up the stairs, this time took some careful maneuvering on Hermione’s part as a wandering hand found different areas of her covered body to explore as she attempted to navigate the walk without tripping. She knew Charlie would catch her if she slipped, but that would probably ruin the moment and, at present, he was ruining her concentration. As soon as her feet found the landing, she was pressed against another wall, both hands tugging at the hem of the t-shirt she had been sporting all day. She leaned forward slightly to allow him to tug it over her head and arms, tossing it away without a thought as to where she might go looking for it later.<br/>
<br/>
“Gods, you’re stunning,” he whispered into her ear before kissing her once more, each moment more passionate than the last. Hermione paused for only a moment before reaching a hand up behind her and unclasping her bra, allowing the fabric to fall slack in front of her before shaking her arms slightly, pushing Charlie away for the briefest of moments to allow it to fall to the ground beneath their feet.<br/>
<br/>
He paused, just briefly, to study the witch in front of him. He wasn’t as tall as most of his brothers, but he still had a good six inches on her that allowed him a fantastic look as she bared herself in front of him. “Absolutely exquisite,” he corrected, reaching forward and pulling her away from the wall with a firm grip on her ass. “Enchanting,” he spoke against her mouth, crushing her once more with a dizzying kiss. <br/>
<br/>
“Charlie,” she keened, her hands grasping at any part of the man in front of her she could reach. Every single part of his body was incredibly firm, she noted, before grasping at his belt, desperate to get a better look at the parts of him she only remembered from drunken snippets or what she had been able to see over her shoulder just days ago. She felt him grin against her throat as her fingers finally found the clasp she was desperately searching for. Hermione fumbled with his belt buckle for a moment before finding the proper angle to release the clasp and she didn’t hesitate before continuing to fumble with the buttons on his jeans.<br/>
<br/>
“How many buttons are on these damn things?” she grumbled, feeling great success for every button she managed to dislodge from the corresponding hole. “About five,” he replied, reaching his hand down between them to tug the fabric away from the small piece of denim holding them together. “Sorry, wasn’t expecting company tonight.” “It’s fine,” Hermione whispered back, satisfied that at least one of them had been able to get him out of his jeans quickly.<br/>
<br/>
Charlie shifted his hips in such a way that allowed his trousers to fall to the floor and he stepped out them, angling Hermione so he could lead her away from the hallway wall and towards the bed. While he was incredibly tempted to fuck her right there next to the bathroom door, he remembered how unsatisfied he was when she left a few days ago after he had simply bent her over his couch in a fit of sexually-charged rage. This time, however, he intended to treat her right and make her breakfast, if she allowed.<br/>
<br/>
Charlie was fully aware that Hermione Granger was the human equivalent of every dragon he had fawned over for the majority of his life - she was difficult, temperamental, and full of fire. There was absolutely no telling her what to do, and you either did what she said or stepped out of the way before she destroyed you with an unmatched fury. Everything inside Charlie screamed to understand what made her tick, what made her squirm, and, most importantly in these moments, what made her scream.<br/>
<br/>
Their legs found his bed frame and he sat her down gently, placing soft, worshipping kiss after kiss against her skin from her mouth to her exposed breasts, lost in the feel of her and how open she was being with him this time around. He reached a hand up and began kneading one breast as his mouth found his way to the other, allowing her body language to guide him through a series of kisses, licks, and nibbles as his opposite hand found his way to the button on her shorts. Thankfully, she simply had a single button and zipper to contend with, and she was perfectly happy to allow him to remove her cotton pants with her denim shorts. Charlie pulled himself up swiftly to kiss her deeply before settling on his knees in front of her, kissing his way down the hollow of her throat once more, taking his time to nip at most of her sensitive spots before settling back and placing a deep kiss on the inside of her right thigh.<br/>
<br/>
Hermione sighed and allowed her body to lean backward onto the mattress as Charlie’s hands found her most intimate spots, his mouth still relishing the skin of her inner thigh with lazy kisses and bites. She knew the keeper possessed strong, calloused hands but she hadn’t expected the callouses to find their own softness as they aged. His fingers had a rough texture to them, but it was a sensation she found incredibly pleasing as his middle finger and thumb gently parted the folds of her vulva and his index finger found a soft, circular rhythm against her clit. Merlin bless him, he never stopped his assault on the inside of her thighs, obsessing over the cool softness he found so incredibly refreshing.<br/>
<br/>
“Charlie, please,” she begged breathlessly, losing herself in the gentle tease he had bestowed upon her. She inhaled a sharp breath and twitched against him as he gently bit the inside of her thigh before redirecting his mouth to the area where his fingers had been, absolutely delighting in the taste of her, slightly tangy but mostly sweet as the fingers that had previously teased her found different, smaller areas to explore. His tongue finally found her clit and he swirled around it in a way that made her squirm underneath him and he found it incredibly tantalizing; Charlie had to force himself to focus on the task he had undertaken before he would allow himself to fuck her.<br/>
<br/>
Charlie decided he wouldn’t let himself begin to get off until he had brought her to orgasm at least once, and was perfectly happy to find himself sucking and lapping at her clit as his hands gripped the inside the thighs spread wide open for him off the foot of his bed. He knew that simple attention to her most sensitive bundle of nerves wouldn’t get the job done to his satisfaction, and he brought himself up for a moment to make eye contact with the witch gasping for air above him. He held her gaze as he stuck his index and middle fingers into his mouth, wetting them with the mixture of the both of them on her tongue. Hermione whimpered as he dove back down, softly pushing his tongue against her as a wet finger found her entrance and pushed into her slowly.<br/>
<br/>
The simple, slow sigh of his name from her place on the mattress was all he needed to hear as he took a moment to softly stretch her before he slowly added the second finger, his mouth refusing to relent as she twitched and bucked beneath him. Charlie briefly considered a third before he found the angle she craved, running his fingers against the proper spot inside of her that made her pant and slowly chant his name. Once he had found the exact spot she needed, he continued his ministrations without fail as she groaned and ground herself against his face, desperately searching for her first orgasm.<br/>
<br/>
Charlie resisted the urge to suck and nibble against her clit, keeping with the small circular motion that was driving her wild and ignoring the small cramps he was getting until she jerked firmly against him, three, four, five times, calling out her release to whatever gods might be listening. Charlie continued his pace as she reached completion, afraid that he might pull away too early and remove any continuing pleasure she might experience. Hermione didn’t hesitate when she was through and immediately grabbed at his head, pulling him upwards and on top of her to kiss him deeply, enjoying the taste of herself on his lips and tongue far more than she cared to admit.<br/>
<br/>
“Thank you,” she breathed against his neck as Charlie braced himself on either side of her torso, afraid his full weight might crush her. He didn’t respond with words, but took a moment to whisper a quick contraceptive charm before he adjusted himself to align with her swollen entrance, pushing forward slowly. They both grunted and sighed into each other’s mouths, incredibly grateful to be attached at the hilt. He took his time moving into her, allowing her to slowly stretch around him. “Fuck,” he grunted as they found a rhythm; the way she was lifting her hips to meet his encouraged him to increase his pace while he worked on filling her completely.<br/>
<br/>
As soon as he was buried inside of her, Charlie finally allowed himself a moment of true release, breathing in the heady scent that surrounded them before kissing her deeply and losing himself in her wild curls. Their previous rhythm had been temporarily abandoned as he thrust deep inside of her, desperation building to find her sweet spot so he could concentrate on bringing her to the point where they could find their climax together. Hermione reached up behind her and frantically grabbed a pillow to place under her hips so they would each have an easier time finding their release. The new angle this provided caused them both to gasp and groan into each other once more, finding it impossible to keep their hands and mouths from any part of the other they could reach.<br/>
<br/>
As Charlie’s thrusts became more erratic and uncontrolled, Hermione decided this was her turn to take control over the situation. She braced herself against his shoulders and waited for him to still before he rolled them over, bringing her on top of him for the first time. While they hadn’t separated, she still wiggled her hips to readjust their angle before she started slowly rocking herself slowly into him. Charlie had closed his eyes and let his head roll back as his hands gripped the soft flesh of her thighs, briefly forgetting himself and squeezing her a bit too hard. Hermione tapped his shoulder lightly and he released her with a weak smile before opting to move his hands to grip her hips, encouraging her to move up and down his hard length in addition to the rocking movements she seemed so incredibly fond of. “Oh, fuck, Bows,” he growled to the ceiling, quickly losing his ability to think clearly.<br/>
<br/>
He came to when he heard her whisper his name as she moved one of his strong hands away from her hips and back to her swollen clit. He would never make beg if she didn’t want to; he moved his thumb in a similar motion he had used with his tongue earlier and was immediately rewarded with a series of mewls and gasps as her pace became less of a rhythm and more spazmatic as they both chased their orgasms together. Charlie desperately wished to lean forward and kiss her, but he knew changing anything could cause her to lose her climax and he knew that would be completely unacceptable. “Look at me,” he whispered, willing her eyes to snap open and meet his as they both found their climax, chanting each other’s names and a few choice swear words as they peaked together.<br/>
<br/>
Charlie kept his hand moving against her as she slowed the movement of her hips, allowing the aftershocks of her second orgasm to finish reverberating through her core. When she finally stopped moving and sagged forward, he slipped his hand from between her legs and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her forward onto his chest. He began placing lazy, languid kisses along her forehead and jaw, patiently waiting for her to turn her head so he could capture her lips softly.<br/>
<br/>
“You were incredible, Bows,” he whispered into her hair before placing another kiss on her temple as she burrowed into his chest. “Absolutely breathtaking,” she murmured sleepily against his chest. He felt her smile against him as she burrowed into him, evidently completely unbothered by the sheen of sweat she found there. Instead of moving her, Charlie opted to summon a blanket from his reading chair in the corner and draped it over the two of them as they settled into a content and dreamless sleep.</p>
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